caroline
by lovethyneighbor
Summary: Rachel is being framed for a murder and has to leave her hometown of New York City. Under the alias Caroline, she and her best friend, Santana, lay low in Lima. It is there that she meets Finn and they fall in love, but is Finn in love with the girl he knows as Caroline, or the real Rachel? And what happens when Finn finds out that 'Caroline' isn't who she says she is? DISCONTINUED
1. PROLOGUE

**Hello again! Sooo this is something that's been floating around in my head for the past couple of weeks. I just wrote all of this today so I could post it and see if you guys are interested in reading this, sooo let me know what you think :)**

**I'm not very good at writing action scenes so be warned, haha, and don't judge me too hard. **

**There isn't any Finn in this chapter, btw, because it's just setting up the rest of the story. Rest assured he'll be in the next chapter if I continue this story though soooo yeah.  
**

**DISCLAIMER - I don't own Glee or its characters.**

* * *

**caroline**

**PROLOGUE**

Rachel Berry was freaking out. _Why do I get myself into these situations? _

As she followed her boyfriend, Jesse St. James, into the dark woods on the outskirts of New York City, she chastised herself for agreeing to what was so obviously a stupid idea. She jumped when she heard the leaves rustling a couple feet away from her.

Jesse sighed. "Rachel, will you stop jumping every time you hear a noise? It's just the wind."

Rachel looked up at him nervously as she wrapped her bright red pea coat more tightly around her small frame. "Are you sure? Because we aren't in the city anymore and there are wild animals, Jesse. Bears, and coyotes, and snakes, and other incredibly terrifying things that might eat me."

"You wanted to be more involved, right?" he asked, an edge of frustration creeping into his voice.

Rachel nodded. "Yes," she said, although she was becoming less and less sure as time went on.

"Then stop acting like a little girl, Rachel, and come on," Jesse replied.

Rachel frowned. _Little girl? I am only three years younger than you, mister. _She stopped walking and was about to let Jesse know exactly what she thought of his unfair treatment of her lately, but decided to wait until a more opportune time when she heard a stick break somewhere behind her. She hurried after Jesse, who had continued his trek through the trees. "Jesse, wait up!"

Jesse glanced at her when she caught up. "And did you really have to wear that bright coat? We're trying not to be noticed, remember?"

"Sorry," Rachel muttered. "So, what is it that we are doing that has to take place in the middle of woods in the middle of the night? Why couldn't it be done in, I don't know, a coffee shop or something? At least then I could have a warm mug of coffee and wouldn't feel like a popsicle right now."

"Are you going to complain the entire time, Rachel?" Jesse asked. "Because if you can't handle this, then I can take you back home."

_And have you consorting with the slutty females that your friends like to hang out with while I'm sitting alone in my house? No thank you. _

Rachel sent him an apologetic smile. "I can handle it," she told him. "I'm sorry, Jesse. I just… when I suggested that we spend more time together, I didn't mean that we should spend it taking long hikes through the woods."

"We're almost there," Jesse said and took her hand in his. "I promise we'll spend more time together, babe. Alone. Just not tonight."

Rachel sighed. "Okay."

* * *

Five minutes later, five long minutes that felt like an eternity to Rachel, they finally arrived to a clearing in the forest. A group of about twenty people were gathered around a campfire in the middle of the space and Rachel got a strong whiff of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette smoke as a strong wind blew through, rusting the leaves around them. She heard the high-pitched howl of a coyote somewhere in the distance. "Are you sure this is safe?" she asked Jesse.

"It's fine, Rachel," Jesse told her. "We do this all the time."

"Okay…" Rachel replied, not convinced. "So, what do we do? Just sit around and do nothing? This doesn't look very interesting or fun. To be honest, I am kind of disappointed." She sent a look of disgust to a couple who were off to the side, wrapped around each other and swapping major spit.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "What were you expecting?" he asked. "I gotta go talk to some people, okay? Do you want a beer or something?"

"Do I look like the type of girl who has a penchant for beer?" Rachel asked back. "Besides, I am underage."

"When has being underage ever stopped people from drinking?"

"I'll pass," Rachel told him. "I'd like to be aware and not in an alcohol-induced haze while I am out here in the middle of nowhere, thank you."

"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you," Jesse muttered under his breath.

Rachel gasped indignantly and was about to protest, but was stopped by Jesse pressing a kiss to her cheek, telling her that he'd be right back, and walking away. "No wonder my dads hate him so much. He is so rude," she said to herself. She sighed as she looked around. She would never fit in with this crowd. _What was I thinking? _She had just sat down on a log beside a girl with a shaved head and multiple facial piercings when she heard a voice call her name.

"Rachel!"

It was Santana Lopez, Rachel's best friend and Jesse's younger sister. Rachel and Santana had been best friends for as long as she could remember. They met in first grade when Santana's mother and Jesse's father got married and moved to New York City for a new life. Santana had harassed Rachel for the longest, calling her names and always taking her 64-pack of crayons without asking. Eventually, Rachel got sick of it and stood up to Santana and they had been friends ever since. Santana could be a total bitch at times, but was fiercely loyal. If it wasn't for the fact that Santana was her best friend, and everyone was terrified of pissing Santana off, Rachel was sure that her time at school would be hell. Santana was like her sister though, so instead her fellow classmates just ignored her.

Until she started dating Jesse.

Now everyone wanted to be her friend, hoping that Rachel would get them an in with Jesse and his friends.

Since Rachel became friends with Santana, she had always looked up to Jesse. He was three grade levels above them, always the coolest guy in school, and even better, he was into theatre, just like herself. He graduated and left for UCLA for college, but then at the beginning of Rachel's senior year, he came back to New York. He wouldn't tell anyone why he had left school early, when he only had one more year left, and he started hanging out with some pretty questionable people, but Rachel didn't care. She still had a major crush on him. So when he asked her on a date, of course she said yes.

Santana wasn't happy about it, but there was nothing that she could do. It was four months later and Rachel and Jesse were still together, much to her dismay.

"What are you doing here?" Santana asked once she reached Rachel. She turned to the girl next to them. "Go sit somewhere else, Lucy."

Lucy sneered at her. "If you think that I am going to take orders from Jesse's kid sister, you are mistaken. And my name is Phoenix."

"No, it's Lucy," Santana retorted. "Now move before I go tell Jesse that you are harassing his kid sister and his girlfriend."

Lucy rolled her eyes and blew a puff of smoke into their faces before standing up and walking away. Santana sat down in the now vacant spot.

"She seems pleasant," Rachel said.

"Oh yeah, Lucy and I go way back," Santana replied. "Now, what are you doing here, Rach? This isn't your scene."

"I could say the same to you," Rachel told her.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Rachel, really."

"Look, I just wanted to spend some more time with my boyfriend," Rachel said defensively. "Is that so bad?"

"Jesse is over there getting wasted with his friends and you are over here sitting alone. That doesn't seem like spending time together."

"Why are you so against Jesse and I being together, Santana?" Rachel asked. "You're my best friend; you are supposed to support me."

"I'm also supposed to tell you when you are being a total idiot," Santana answered. "Jesse isn't the same guy that he used to be, Rachel."

"What do you mean?"

Santana gestured around her. "Look around you, Rachel," she said. "Do these look like the type of people that the Jesse that we used to know would hang around?"

"No…" Rachel replied. "But people change."

"And not always for the better."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Spare me the lecture, Santana, and why don't you tell me what you are doing here if you think it's such a bad idea."

"Keeping an eye out on my brother," Santana told her. "Making sure that he doesn't do anything that'll ruin his life forever."

"You act like these people are criminals," Rachel replied. She stood up. "I'm gonna go find Jesse. I'll talk to you later."

"Rachel," Santana started, but Rachel was already gone.

* * *

"Jesse," Rachel said as she walked up to him and a group of four other people, Lucy included.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'll see you later," she said to Jesse in a low and raspy voice, before pressing a kiss on his lips, winking at Rachel, and then sauntering away.

Rachel's jaw dropped. "Jesse!" she exclaimed. "She just… she just kissed you! Right in front of me!"

Jesse wrapped an arm around Rachel and pulled her into his side. "Relax, Rachel," he told her. "Phoenix does that to everyone. She doesn't mean anything by it."

"So you just let her kiss you," Rachel said. "When you have a girlfriend."

"Rachel… you don't need to make a scene," Jesse said and looked around nervously as the guys around him started to laugh and make obscene jokes.

Rachel looked at him defiantly and then grabbed his face in her hands and proceeded to give him a long and deep kiss, in front of everyone. A blush crept up her cheeks once she pulled away.

"Wow," Jesse breathed out. "What was that for?"

"You have me, Jesse," Rachel told him. "You don't need to kiss other girls, okay?"

Jesse nodded. "Okay," he agreed. He grabbed her hand. "Hey, you wanna go somewhere where we'll have a bit more privacy?"

Rachel gulped. She had seen that look in his eyes before. It was the look he got whenever he wanted to go further than just kissing. She wasn't ready for that though. She opened her mouth to protest, but then saw Lucy out of the corner of her eye. _I am _not _going to lose Jesse to a girl who calls herself Phoenix. _"Okay."

* * *

Rachel winced as Jesse pushed her up against a tree. Jesse had led her to a spot in the woods several yards away from where everyone else was. It was quiet and dark and quiet honestly, Rachel was terrified. "Jesse," she said while he pressed kisses along her neck. Her pea coat was lying in a heap on the ground, much to her dismay, and she was freezing cold. Not to mention that the rough bark was digging into her back. "Jesse," she repeated when she didn't get a response.

"What?" Jesse asked, frustrated.

"Can't we go somewhere more… cozy?" Rachel asked him.

"Cozy? You are so cute," Jesse laughed and then tried to kiss Rachel again, but she pushed him away. "What is your problem?"

"This isn't what I had in mind when you suggested somewhere with more privacy," Rachel told him.

"Why are you always complaining?" Jesse asked.

"Maybe because you have no idea how to treat a girl," Rachel said back.

"I don't want to date a girl, Rachel. I want a woman," Jesse replied. "I thought you were more mature than this. Maybe Lucy is right. You're still just a kid."

"Just because I don't want to have sex in the middle of the woods in the freezing cold, I am not mature?" Rachel asked. "I am not a little kid, Jesse!"

"Then stop acting like one," Jesse told her.

Rachel pushed him off of her and picked up her coat. "I want you to take me home."

"Rachel…" Jesse said and tried to put his arms back around her. "Don't be like this."

Rachel dodged his attempts. "Take me home, Jesse."

Jesse glared at her. "Fine."

While Rachel was putting her coat back on and trying to fix her hair so it didn't look she just made out with someone against a tree, they heard someone yelling a little ways away.

Rachel eyes widened. "What was that?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

Jesse hushed her and stood still while he listened. He looked at her. "Stay here."

"What?!"

"Stay here, I'm gonna go see what's going on," Jesse told her.

"Jesse, you are not going to leave me here by myself," Rachel replied.

"Actually, I am," Jesse said and then ran off, disappearing into the trees.

Rachel stared in horror at the spot where he just left. "Oh my gosh," she said. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I cannot believe he just did that. I don't know where I am. I don't know how to get back to the group. I am going to get eaten. I am going to die. Oh my gosh."

* * *

"When is he coming back?" Rachel asked aloud, shivering in the cold. "It's the end of December in New York and all I have is a pea coat and a scarf to keep me warm. He is so dead."

"Who's dead?" asked a voice from behind her.

Rachel let out a shriek and spun around. There was a guy that looked to be about Jesse's age, maybe a little older, standing in the darkness. "Who are you?" she asked.

"The name is Nate," the guy answered.

"Well, Nate," Rachel said. "My boyfriend left me alone out here in the cold. Do you know Jesse?"

"Oh, I know Jesse alright," Nate told her.

The way that he said that sent a jolt of fear down Rachel's spine. "Um, okay," she replied. "Do you know how I can get back to the party, get-together, or whatever it is that he and his friends are having?"

"Yes, I do," Nate said.

Rachel waited for him to elaborate but he said nothing else. She was getting frustrated. _What the hell is with this guy? _She opened her mouth to yell at him, but was interrupted by the sound of two pairs of feet walking towards them. "Oh my g—"

Nate covered her mouth with his hand and moved them behind the tree.

"Sebastian, you are the biggest dumbass that I have ever had the misfortune of knowing."

"Maybe I wouldn't be such a dumbass if you'd tell me what was going on every once and a while, Hunter."

"Damn," Nate muttered under his breath.

"What is going on?" Rachel asked him.

"Shhh!" Nate hushed her with a glare.

Sebastian whirled around. "Did you hear that?"

"It was probably the wind," Hunter told him.

"No, I am pretty sure that it was a voice," Sebastian replied.

Hunter laughed. "Now you're hearing things? Wow."

"Fuck off," Sebastian told him.

"Watch your language, Seb, or I'll tell Mommy," Hunter said in a mocking voice.

"Whatever," Sebastian replied. "Does Jesse know?"

Rachel's eyes widened at the mention of her boyfriend.

"He knows," Hunter confirmed. "And like I thought, he doesn't like it. Good for us, it doesn't matter whether or not Jesse approves. Besides, even if we were to get in trouble, my dad would clean up our mess. He always does."

"Thank you Mr. Clarington," Sebastian said with a laugh. "So, when do we get the stuff?"

"It was supposed to be tonight, but then Jesse had to bring his little girlfriend, and got distracted," Hunter replied.

"I knew it!" Nate whisper-yelled in excitement.

Both his and Rachel's eyes widened as Hunter whirled around. "What was that?" he asked. He stepped closer to the tree that Nate and Rachel were hiding behind. "Who's there?" He walked past them without realizing that they were there, and Rachel let out a sigh of relief.

"Someone is behind that tree!" Sebastian yelled.

Nate pushed Rachel to the ground and started running. "Ow!" Rachel yelled in pain. "Why is everyone so rude around here?"

Hunter laughed as walked over to where Rachel lay on the ground. "Oh, look," he said. "It's Jesse's little girlfriend. Speak of the devil."

"What do you want with my boyfriend?" Rachel asked.

"You are so naïve," Hunter told her. "The question that you should really be asking is what does your boyfriend want with us?"

"I got him," Sebastian announced as he returned with Nate.

Hunter smiled. "Good," he replied and then pulled out a gun and held it towards Nate. "Now, what did you hear?"

Rachel gasped. _Oh my g-d. _

"Enough to confirm what I already knew," Nate spit out and then kicked his leg back so that it hit Sebastian between his legs. Sebastian yelled out in pain and fell to the ground. Nate took that chance to escape. He ran over to where Rachel was and picked her up roughly. He pulled out a knife.

Rachel stared at the knife in horror. "What are you doing with that?"

"Sorry," Nate told her and then spun her around so that he had the knife to her neck. "I'm giving you this chance to walk away," he said to Hunter and Sebastian. "Put the gun away and walk away or I'll kill her."

"What?" Rachel choked out.

"I don't think you'd do that, Nate," Hunter said. "Jesse would be very angry."

"I don't give a fuck about Jesse," Nate replied. "He's just a poser anyway."

"Oh no," Hunter told him. "He is very serious."

"Look, Hunter, put the gun away or you'll have more than just possession and distribution of illegal substances on your hands. I'll pin her murder on you too," Nate said and held the knife closer to Rachel's throat. A trickle of blood started to make its way down her neck.

_He is going to kill me._

Rachel mimicked Nate's earlier move and kicked her leg back, causing Nate to fall to the ground. She yanked the knife out of her hand. Nate growled and jumped back up. There was a flurry of activity and the next thing Rachel saw was Nate's knife in Nate's side and blood on her hands.

She stared at him in horror. "Oh my g-d."

Hunter laughed. "Thank you for that, Rachel," he said and walked over to Nate, still holding the gun up.

"Dude…" Sebastian warned. "What are you doing? You're not really going to shoot him, are you? Let's just get out of here."

"No." Hunter shot a bullet straight into Nate's skull and he crumpled to the ground.

Rachel screamed.

"Shit!" Sebastian yelled.

Hunter turned towards Rachel, still wielding the weapon.

There were tears streaming down Rachel's face. "Please don't shoot me," she begged. "I won't tell anyone. I promise." _They are all insane. He's gonna kill me too. Oh my g-d._

Hunter walked closer.

"Please," Rachel sobbed.

"I'm not going to kill you, Rachel," Hunter reassured her. He pressed the gun into Rachel's hands and put her finger on the trigger. "I want you to shoot me."

"What?" Rachel gasped. "I…I'm not going to shoot you."

"Do it!" Hunter roared.

"Hunter, calm down!" Sebastian yelled.

"Rachel! Rachel, where are you?"

They all spun around as Jesse crashed into the area. He looked in horror at the scene in front of him. "Rachel…"

Rachel's eyes widened and she shook her head fiercely. "I didn't kill him." She looked down at the gun in her hands and dropped it. "It wasn't me, I promise. You have to believe me."

"It's Nate's fault, dude," Hunter said as he walked over to Jesse. "Sebastian and I were just walking, having a little chat, when we came across Rachel here. And Nate was trying to, you know, take advantage of her. Right, Sebastian?"

Sebastian looked terrified. "Um…"

"Right, Sebastian?" Hunter repeated, glaring at him.

"Right," Sebastian said hurriedly, in fear that Hunter would do to him what he did to Nate. "Nate had her on the ground and when we showed up, he freaked out and pulled out a knife."

"He started waving it around and I didn't know what to do so I took out my gun," Hunter added. "Nate rushed at me and I fell and dropped it and Rachel picked it up and she… she shot him. Just like that."

"That's… that's not true!" Rachel spluttered. "They're lying! Hunter shot him!"

Jesse's eyes darkened. "Rachel, get out of here. Go."

"Jesse…" Rachel said, her eyes pleading.

"Go!"

Rachel didn't know what to do, so she ran. Ran before anything else bad happened.

* * *

About ten minutes later, Rachel found herself stumbling out of the woods and onto an empty street. Luckily for her, she recognized it and started walking until she was back in the city.

She kept walking until she made it to Santana's house. She rang the doorbell, hoping desperately that it would be Santana that answered the door and not Mr. and Mrs. St. James.

The door opened and Rachel let out a sigh of relief when she saw Santana standing on the other side. "San…" she said and then burst into tears.

* * *

Rachel sat cross-legged on Santana's bed with a cup of hot tea in her hands. "Please don't say I told you so." She had just finished filling Santana in on what had happened.

"Nate is dead?" Santana asked. "Like, his heart stopped beating?"

Rachel nodded. "I'm pretty sure."

"You have to get out of New York."

"What?"

"You can't stay here anymore," Santana told her. "Don't you get it? Hunter is going to pin this on you. He's gonna say that you killed Nate. And his rich lawyer daddy is going to make sure that Hunter gets off scotch-free. Let me guess, Hunter was wearing gloves when he shot him, right?"

Rachel thought back. "He was," she said. "And I… wasn't. I forgot my mittens at home. Part of the reason I was so cold the whole time."

Santana stood up and started throwing things in bags. "We're leaving."

"What?" Rachel asked. "Santana, calm down."

"I'm not gonna watch my best friend go down for a murder that she did not commit," Santana said. "We are leaving. I know a person in Ohio. She'll take us in."

"Shouldn't we think through this first?" Rachel asked.

"We don't have time to think!" Santana yelled. "First thing tomorrow, we are heading over to your house. We are going to pack a bag for you and then we are getting the hell out of here. I have enough money saved up to get train tickets."

"What about my dads? What about your parents?"

"We'll figure that out later."

"I think this is a little extreme, Santana," Rachel said.

Santana stopped what she was doing and stared at Rachel. "Rachel, you stabbed a guy with a knife. And then watched him get shot in the head with a bullet. And then held the gun that shot the guy in your hands. Without gloves. That gun probably has your prints all over it. And the guy that really shot him? He has a big-shot lawyer for a dad that will do anything to make sure that his son's life isn't ruined. Even if that means ruining someone else's life. If we don't leave, Rachel, you are going to jail. Don't you understand the severity of the situation? We have to go."

Rachel was terrified. She didn't want to go to jail. She wasn't made out for that. She would get eaten alive. "…okay."

* * *

**lol  
**


	2. ONE

**IT'S MY BIRTHDAY YOU GUYS! WOO! haha sorry i'm excited :D**

**I had to split this chapter into two because it was getting pretty lengthy, so if the ending seems kind of abrupt, that is why. Gah, I get so nervous posting my stuff online for the world to see D: **

**Anyway. **

**Enjoy!  
**

**DISCLAIMER - I don't own Glee or it's characters.**

* * *

**caroline**

**ONE**

It was the first day back after winter break and the halls of McKinley High School were swarming with students. They were talking and greeting one another excitedly as they filled their friends in on their time away from school. It had been a week since Rachel and Santana had left New York and this was their first time in the school that they would be spending the remainder of their high school career.

Rachel frowned as she took in her surroundings. "_This _is the place where we have to spend the rest of our senior year?" she asked.

"You _could_ be spending the rest of your senior year in a jail cell," Santana retorted. "Sorry that Lima isn't as glamorous as it is in New York, but you should be grateful that Claudia was willing to take us in."

Rachel sighed. "I am," she told her friend. "Sorry."

Santana shrugged. "It's cool," she replied. She sent a look of disgust to a guy that sped past them on his skateboard, almost knocking them down. "This place _could_ use a little more class." Her phone buzzed in her hand and she frowned as she read the text message. "I gotta call Claudia. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes."

Rachel's eyes widened. "You're gonna leave me by myself?"

"It'll be fine," Santana reassured her. "What's our story?"

Rachel rolled her eyes as she relayed the story that Santana had forced her to repeat about twenty times since they had arrived in Lima. "My name is Caroline Smith and yours is Maria Sanchez. We are from Miami, Florida. We've been best friends since birth because our parents attend the same church. The reason why we moved here to Lima is because our parents are on a missionary trip in Asia. We didn't want to spend the rest of our senior year on a completely different continent, but your older cousin Claudia was willing to take us in."

Santana smiled. "Good. I'll be back," she said and then walked out of the building so that she could return Claudia's call.

Rachel sighed as she looked around. "It's now or never, I guess."

* * *

"Why on earth is it so hard to find the office? This place is half the size of the academy back home. At the most," Rachel said to herself as walked through the hallways. She received a few strange looks in response. "What? Have you never seen someone talk to themselves before?" she snapped. "Ugh, isn't Sa— I mean, Maria finished yet?"

She really did not want to talk to anyone in the school, all the people that she had seen seemed extremely weird, but after about five minutes of wandering around, trying to find the office so that she could get her schedule and locker number, she decided that she had no other choice. She stood in the middle of the hallway, searching through the crowd for a suitable person that she could ask.

Tall guy in hockey uniform with very unfortunate mullet? No thanks.

Small, mousy looking girl with very unfortunate headgear? Nope.

Guy of average height with very nice hair and very nice clothes? Perfect.

Rachel pasted one of her very best smiles on her face and walked over to her intended target. He was standing in front of his locker, placing his things into his bag. She held out a hand.

"Hello, I'm Caroline Smith," she said, trying out the name that she would have during her time in Ohio. "I am a new student here; I transferred from a very prestigious school in Florida for those of us who are interested in the performing arts in and talented enough to be accepted to it, and I was wondering if I could have your assistance in locating the secretary's office."

The academy that she attended in New York City wasn't specifically for the performing arts, it was more geared towards math and science, but she had always wanted to attend one and figured that it would be a nice addition to her "life" back in Florida. She had also decided that she would still keep most of her personality traits, rather than try and pretend to be a completely different person. Although it would have been great practice for the many performances that she would be in, there was too much at stake and she would rather be safe than sorry.

The guy sent her a wary look. "Um, wow," he said as he shook her hand. "You are a little much."

"Yes, I get that a lot," Rachel said dismissively. "May I have your help or not?"

"You're new here, you say? Well, I'm just going to warn you. You might not want to attach yourself to me. McKinley is a school that is very clique-oriented and let's just say, I am at the bottom of the food chain."

Rachel sent him a look of surprise. "Really?" she asked. "You seem so much more…" There was a short pause as she thought of suitable word. "…much more classy than most of the students I have seen around here." She leaned in close. "I passed a guy with a very unfortunate mullet. Is he not aware that this is the 21st century?"

The guy laughed. "I like you," he said. "And follow me, I'll show you where the office is. I'm Kurt Hummel, by the way." He closed his locker and started walking down the halls.

Rachel walked along beside him. "So, Kurt Hummel, why are you at the 'bottom of the food chain'?"

"Because I am interested in things that the Neanderthals who, unfortunately, are at the top of the food chain think are not cool and 'gay'. You know, drama, choir, anything that has to do with the performing arts," Kurt told her.

Rachel's face fell. "So, being extremely talented in the performing arts is going to cause a target to be put on your back?"

Kurt nodded. "Pretty much," he said. "But honestly, the reason I think that I am treated so badly is not so much because I love the arts but because I am the only openly gay student at this school." He sent her a wary look similar to the one that he sent her when she first talked to him. "You don't have anything against gays, do you?"

"I sure hope not; I have two gay dads," she replied without thinking. She chastised herself mentally. _Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I have to be more careful._

Kurt smiled. "I think we'll be great friends," he replied and then stopped in front of a door. "Here we are."

Rachel sent him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Kurt."

"It was my pleasure," Kurt told her. "Oh, and you might want to hurry. Homeroom starts in ten."

Rachel nodded, sent him another smile, and then turned to walk into the office, but was stopped in her tracks when she heard a voice yell, "Missed you over the break, Lady Hummel!" She turned around to see a football player throw a red slushy in Kurt's face and gasped. "Oh my gosh! Kurt, are you okay?" she asked as the football player and his cronies walked away laughing.

Kurt just shrugged and grinned at her. "Welcome to McKinley, Rachel."

* * *

Finn Hudson was leaning against his locker, laughing at the conversation that his friends were having, when a pretty, blonde cheerleader named Quinn Fabray walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. She sent him a flirtatious smile. "Hi Finn," she greeted him. "I missed you over the break."

Finn grinned. "Missed you too, Quinn."

"Dude, will you two stop eye-fucking and just start sucking each others face's off already? You know you want to," asked Noah "Puck" Puckerman, Finn's best friend. "Damn, watching you two makes me want to puke."

"You're just jealous that I'll kiss Finn, but my lips refuse to go anywhere near yours," Quinn said.

"Nah, I'm not jealous. I know that the only reason why you refuse to kiss me is because you know that once you get a taste of the Puckerman, nothing will ever measure up," Puck replied.

Quinn rolled her eyes and then turned back to Finn. "So, you're gonna come over to my house after school, right?" she asked.

"I don't know…" Finn answered. "Your dad's not gonna try and kill me again, is he?"

Quinn giggled. "Daddy did _not_ try and kill you."

"Um, how would you know?" Finn asked. "He purposely waited until after you had left the room so no one would be there to witness."

"I promise that my dad won't kill you," Quinn told him. She pouted. "Please, Finn? I really, _really_ missed you these past couple of weeks."

Finn sighed. "Okay, fine."

Quinn squealed and clapped her hands. "Great!" she exclaimed. She gave Finn a quick peck on the lips and then started walking away. "Talk to you later!" She sent him a little wave and then disappeared around the corner.

"So, have you gotten past third base with her yet?" Puck asked once he was sure Quinn was out of earshot.

Finn grinned. "Yep. That's why her dad tried to kill me."

"Dude!" Puck exclaimed and gave Finn a fist bump. "Quinn's dad walked in on you guys going at it? I'm surprised you got away."

"Yeah, me too," Finn said. "My life flashed before my eyes."

"I bet it did, man," Puck replied. "I bet it did."

* * *

Rachel hurried down the hallway as she tried to find her homeroom class. The bell signaling the beginning of homeroom had rung about two minutes earlier. _I cannot believe that I am going to be late. I am never late. Tardiness is not the way to make a good first impression. And first impressions are everything. Ugh, why is it so hard to find places in this school? I wish Kurt were here… And where is Santana?! _She was so focused on finding the classroom that she didn't notice the guy walking in her direction. They crashed into each other and fell to the floor.

Well, Rachel fell to the floor. The guy just stood there with a horrified look on his face. "I am so sorry," he apologized and held out a hand to help her up. "Are you okay? I didn't see you there."

Rachel glared up at him. "Clearly," she snapped. She ignored his hand and got up by herself. She dusted the back of her skirt off. "Ew. That floor is disgusting." She looked up and was surprised by how much taller the guy was than she. There seemed to be about a foot difference between them. She also noticed that he was extremely cute. Like really cute. And the way he was smirking at her totally showed off his adorable dimples. _Wait. Smirking at me? Why the hell is he smirking at me?_ "Why the hell are you smirking at me?"

He ignored her question. "Are you new here? I haven't seen you around," he asked.

"Yes, I am a new student," she confirmed. "Hence the reason why I am late for homeroom," she added. "I cannot find the classroom for the life of me."

"Oh," the guy responded. "Well, see you," the guy said. He flashed a quick smile and started walking away.

Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. _How rude. _"Hey!" she called after him.

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Are all the inhabitants of Ohio as rude as you?" she asked him.

He stared blankly at her.

Rachel rolled her eyes impatiently. "Aren't you going to offer your assistance and help me find my homeroom? I believe I made it clear that I have no idea where I am going." She had no idea what she was expecting the guy to say in response but she certainly was not expecting him to laugh at her. Laugh! "Can you please enlighten me on what about this situation is humorous to you?"

He smiled, showing off his dimples again. "Sorry, I just…you should lighten up some. It was a joke. I wasn't really going to leave you here so that you could continue wandering the halls."

"A joke?" Rachel asked. "That was a terrible joke."

"Sorry," he apologized again. He held his hand out. "Let me see your schedule."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Why?" she asked him. She wasn't sure that he wasn't planning on playing another 'joke' on her. She didn't really like being made a fool of.

"So I can see what homeroom you have?" he answered in a 'duh' tone.

"Oh," Rachel said, a blush making its way into her cheeks. "Here." She handed him the sheet of paper and her blush deepened when their fingers brushed against each other. _Get a grip, Rachel. He is just a boy. A very cute boy, but just a boy. Besides, you can't afford to fall for anyone here. This is only temporary. A quick solution until we can figure out what to do about the terrible situation you are in back home._

The guy smiled at her. "What a coincidence."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"We have the same homeroom," he told her. "Follow me."

Rachel sighed. _Great_. She hesitated before following him as he headed down the hallway.

* * *

A couple seconds later, they reached the door to her homeroom class.

"Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed. "I passed this door, like, three times. How did I not realize that it was the room I was looking for?"

The guy just grinned and then held the door open for her.

Rachel smiled at him as she made her way into the classroom. "How chivalrous of you."

"I have no idea what that means," he told her. "It's not bad, is it?"

"Let's just say that you are not as rude as I originally perceived you to be."

"Awesome."

They stood there in front of the doorway, smiling at each other, until the spell was broken by a woman clearing her throat.

"Finn, nice of you to join us," said a woman standing at the front of the room with a meter stick in her hand.

Finn smiled at her. "Sorry, Mrs. Dootenburg."

Rachel stifled a laugh. _Dootenburg? Oh, how unfortunate._

"Have a seat, Mr. Hudson," Mrs. Dootenburg said.

Rachel blushed again when he sent her one last smile and then walked to the back of the room where he took a seat in between a guy with a mohawk and a really pretty blonde in a cheerleading uniform. A really pretty blonde who was sending her a really scary death glare. She quickly looked away and back to the teacher, who had sat down at her desk and was doing something on her computer, which looked to be about a century old. She crossed her arms impatiently and cleared her throat. The teacher did not move. _Does this lady not see me standing here? _

"Excuse me?" she asked politely. She could still feel the blonde staring at her, but she tried her best to ignore it.

Mrs. Dootenburg looked up. "May I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Caroline Smith. I am a new student here. And apparently this is my homeroom."

"Oh, yes, I was informed that we would be joined by a new student. Just find an open seat, dear," Mrs. Dootenburg replied.

Rachel stared at her in confusion. _Aren't I supposed to introduce myself to the class?_

"Is there a problem?" Mrs. Dootenburg asked when she noticed that Rachel was still standing there.

"Yes," Rachel answered. "Aren't I supposed to introduce myself to the class?"

"Um, no, you don't have to…" Mrs. Dootenburg said.

"May I though?"

Mrs. Dootenburg stared at her like she had grown another head. "Sure…"

Rachel smiled at her. "Fabulous," she said and then turned to face the class. "Excuse me?" she said, raising her voice to get everyone's attention. "Excuse me?"

When she was sure that everyone's eyes were on her, not that it was that hard of a task to do since everyone was wondering what the new girl was doing standing in front of the classroom, talking to them, she smiled brightly.

"Hello everyone," she started. "My name is Caroline Smith and from this moment on I will be your fellow student. I have transferred to McKinley from a very prestigious high school for the performing arts in Florida and while I cannot say that I am eager and happy to be joining you all, as this is definitely a downgrade from my previous school, I will try and make the best of it since I will, unfortunately, be spending the next semester here. I hope that we all can become great friends. Thank you."

She sent them one last mega-watt smile as she finished her introduction. The class all stared at her in response. She frowned and turned back to the teacher. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Um, no, dear. Find a seat," Mrs. Dootenburg told her and went back to doing whatever she was doing on that century-year old computer of hers.

Rachel nodded and then started looking around the classroom for a place to sit. There were a few open seats, but no one seemed eager to offer them to her. In fact, they seemed to want nothing to do with her since they started putting backpacks and notebooks and even their feet in any open seat that was near them. She frowned and was about to ask the teacher for her assistance when she saw Kurt wave at her from the other side of the room. _Kurt! I didn't even notice he was in here. _She smiled at him and then smiled even bigger when she noticed that there was an empty seat behind him. She walked over and sat down. "Hi, Kurt, she said. "I see that you are no longer covered in slushy."

"Yeah, I keep a change of clothes in my locker. You should probably start doing that, by the way," Kurt told her. "Just in case."

"The students here don't seem that welcoming," Rachel observed. "I was hoping that my time here would be different than from my old school, but maybe not."

"I thought you said that you went to a school for the performing arts?" Kurt asked. "Wouldn't you be loved there if you are as talented as you claim?"

"The students there are very competitive and I tend to always come out on top. I guess they are threatened by me," Rachel told him. It wasn't a complete lie. The students at her old school were competitive. And she assumed that the reason why most people didn't warm up to her very easily was because she intimidated them. "So, what are we doing?"

"Nothing, really," Kurt said. "We never do anything in homeroom."

"Oh." _What is with this place? Sitting around doing nothing isn't going to help prepare us for the cut-throat world that we will be thrust into after graduation._

Kurt leaned in close. "So," he said in a low voice. "What were you doing with Finn Hudson?"

Rachel frowned in confusion and then understanding dawned on her when she realized that he was talking about the guy who had helped her find the classroom. "Oh, he was just helping me find the classroom. I got lost. Again."

"Well, that's innocent enough," Kurt replied. "What was up with the flirting then? Quinn is going to kill you."

"Flirting? There was no flirting going on." _Oh g-d. Was I flirting and didn't even realize it? How embarrassing._

Kurt sent her a look of skepticism. "Right…"

"I am serious!" Rachel said defensively. "And who is Quinn and why is she going to kill me?" She already had an inkling of who Kurt was talking about though. She glanced back over to where Finn was sitting. The blonde was still staring at her. _Talk about creepy._

"Quinn is the head Cheerio," Kurt told her. "The most popular girl in school,"

"Cheerio? Like the cereal?"

"The Cheerios are the name of the cheerleading squad at our school," Kurt clarified. He laughed at the baffled expression on Rachel's face. "Don't ask."

"Okay…" Rachel replied. "Well, why is she going to kill me?"

Kurt smirked. "Because you were flirting with her man."

"I was not! I don't even know him," Rachel denied. That was true. She didn't know him. Despite that though, the news that he was taken made her sad. "Finn has a girlfriend?"

"Um, no."

"No?" Rachel asked in confusion.

"Finn doesn't really date." Kurt sighed. "Find me at lunch. I'll be in the cafeteria. You clearly need a crash course in how McKinley is run otherwise you will not survive."

* * *

**:D let me know what you think!**


	3. Cory

**Hey guys. So, I am sure that most of you have heard the news by now. It is truly heartbreaking. I would write a long, heartfelt note about how much Cory meant to me and to everybody whose life he touched, but I really cannot do that right now.**

**I am just posting this to say that I don't think I can continue to write Glee fanfiction, so I am discontinuing this story. Sorry that I wasn't able to finish it, but I just can't.  
**

**Just in case I ever feel like I am in a better place, I won't delete this so that I might be able to finish it one day.**

**Thank you guys so much for reading my stories 3  
**

**And to my Cory... I love you, and I miss you, and I hope that you are finally at peace. Thank you for all that you have done for me the past couple of years. **

**RIP Cory**


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